s1mple, real name Oleksandr Olehovych Kostyliev, is a Ukrainian Counter-Strike player and streamer known for CS:GO and CS2. His headline stats include 4.16M Twitch followers, three HLTV #1 player awards, and the PGL Major Stockholm 2021 MVP award. Widely considered one of the greatest Counter-Strike players in history—and the greatest in CS:GO—he combines an extraordinary competitive record with a huge streaming audience. Explore our streamer directory for more players or visit the CS:GO game archive for related profiles.
Who Is s1mple
Born on October 2, 1997, Oleksandr Kostyliev started playing Counter-Strike at age four. The Ukrainian player eventually became one of the defining figures of professional CS:GO, building a reputation around exceptional individual performances and memorable AWP plays. His career offers a rare combination of sustained personal excellence, major tournament success, and recognition beyond Counter-Strike itself.
For most fans, his name remains closely associated with Natus Vincere, usually shortened to Na’Vi. He spent most of his legendary career with the organization between 2016 and 2025. As of September 29, 2026, however, his current team is BC.Game Esports, which he joined on July 28, 2025. That distinction matters when separating his best-known competitive era from his present team affiliation.
Career Highlights
s1mple’s 2016 run with Team Liquid included a finals appearance at ESL One Cologne. That tournament also produced his famous falling AWP shot on Cache, a moment Valve commemorated with graffiti on the map. It remains one of the clearest examples of how an individual Counter-Strike play can become part of the game’s wider identity.
His move to Na’Vi in 2016 began the longest and most important chapter of his career. Individual awards followed, including the HLTV number-one ranking in 2018. His performance that year produced the highest individual rating of any previous player featured in HLTV’s top 20, underlining just how exceptional that season was.
The defining team achievement arrived at PGL Major Stockholm 2021. Na’Vi won the championship without losing a single map, giving s1mple his first Major title. He also earned the tournament’s MVP award. For a player whose individual greatness had already been established, Stockholm added the Major-winning milestone that had previously been missing.
His later career brought a less straightforward timeline. He stepped away in October 2023 and returned in February 2024, with loans to Falcons and FaZe preceding his BC.Game move. He was also initially critical of CS2’s release. His profile therefore spans both the peak years of CS:GO and the transition into its successor, rather than belonging exclusively to one version of Counter-Strike.
Achievements and Stats
- HLTV #1 player: 2018, 2021, and 2022.
- HLTV #2 player: 2019 and 2020.
- Major championship: PGL Major Stockholm 2021 with Na’Vi, winning every map.
- Major MVP: PGL Major Stockholm 2021.
- The Game Awards: Best Esports Player in 2021.
- Twitch followers: 4,155,227, verified September 29, 2026; approximately 4.16 million.
- Career prize money: More than $700,000, as reported by Wikipedia.
- Current team: BC.Game Esports; joined July 28, 2025.
The ranking sequence is particularly striking: s1mple placed either first or second in every HLTV annual ranking from 2018 through 2022. That consistency helps explain why discussions of his legacy extend beyond any single highlight or tournament. The career prize-money figure is a reported lower bound, not a precise current total or an estimate of personal wealth. For biographical background, see s1mple’s Wikipedia entry.
How Much Does s1mple Earn
No specific salary figure is verified in the supplied research. As a legendary player and Major winner, s1mple belongs in discussions of top-tier Counter-Strike contracts, but his reputation does not establish the value of an individual agreement. Publishing a monthly salary or annual income estimate would imply a level of certainty the available information does not support.
The documented financial benchmark is more than $700,000 in career prize money. Tournament winnings are separate from team salary, sponsorship arrangements, and potential streaming revenue. Likewise, his large Twitch following demonstrates audience reach, not paid subscriber numbers or take-home income. A responsible earnings summary acknowledges those distinctions rather than turning follower counts into an unsupported financial estimate.
Where to Watch
Twitch is the primary verified place to follow s1mple’s streams. His official handle is s1mple on Twitch, where the follower count stood at 4,155,227 on September 29, 2026. That figure is a dated snapshot, not a live counter. Check the channel for current broadcasts and any available past broadcasts; no fixed streaming schedule is verified here.
For further reading, use the Counter-Strike game archive linked above to explore more players from the scene. You can also explore our shroud profile for another Counter-Strike-connected streaming name. s1mple’s own appeal remains rooted in the overlap between elite competition and streaming: viewers can follow a player whose career includes historic individual rankings, an undefeated Major-winning campaign, and one of Counter-Strike’s most famous highlights.
What is s1mple’s real name and where is he from?
s1mple’s full name is Oleksandr Olehovych Kostyliev. He is Ukrainian and was born on October 2, 1997.
What team does s1mple play for?
As of September 29, 2026, s1mple plays for BC.Game Esports. He joined on July 28, 2025, after spending most of his legendary career with Na’Vi.
How many times has s1mple been HLTV’s number-one player?
s1mple earned HLTV’s number-one player ranking three times: in 2018, 2021, and 2022. He ranked second in 2019 and 2020.
Has s1mple won a Counter-Strike Major?
Yes. He won his first Major with Na’Vi at PGL Major Stockholm 2021 and received the MVP award. Na’Vi won every map during the tournament.
Where does s1mple stream and how many followers does he have?
s1mple streams on Twitch under the handle s1mple. His channel had 4,155,227 followers, approximately 4.16 million, verified on September 29, 2026.